Pizza Casserole

How are you all doing? I feel like such a bad blogger, but with my new job I've been working so much and then coming home to work on my training books. Then on top of it all I'll be spending 4 weeks in St. Paul, MN which is also apart of my training. But, I've been doing my best to create posts and keep connected with everybody! Hopefully in May once I get officially aligned into my position my schedule will be a little more solidified...because right now my schedule isn't really up to me. 

One of my favorite meals growing up was pizza casserole. Being the pizza connoisseur I am, anything pizza is perfectly fine in my book! Just like most casseroles, this is incredibly easy dish to throw together and like a lot of pasta dishes definitely wouldn't hurt being made the day before and reheated to meld all of those wonderful flavors together. This is an incredibly satisfying dish that I am sure will pick you up after this incredibly depressing winter weather we are experiencing! Spring can't come fast enough!

Pizza Casserole

Prep time: 15 min | Cook time: 40 min | Total time: 1 hour | Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Can tomato sauce (29 ounces)
• 1 Can tomato paste (12 ounces)
• 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 3 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 Red pepper, diced
• 1 lbs Italian sausage, loose
• 1 lbs Rotini pasta
• 1/2-1 lbs Sliced pepperoni
• 1 lbs Shredded mozzarella
• 6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
2. In a large saute pan with lid, cook sausage until cooked through and brown. Add in red pepper and cook until softened. Add in the tomato sauce mixture, cover and reduce to a simmer.
3. In salted water cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 375F
5. In a lightly greased 9x13x3 inch pan, pour a small amount of sauce to lightly coat the bottom.
6. 1st layer - 1/2 pasta, 1/2 remaining sauce, 1/2 lbs mozzarella cheese, 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese, and then cover in sliced pepperoni.
7. 2nd Layer - remaining pasta, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese, remaining Parmesan, and then top with sliced pepperoni
8. Place casserole in oven and bake for 40 min. Let set for 10 min before serving.

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Recipe Revisited: Sausage and Peppers Pasta

This one of Lee and I's favorite pasta dishes. It's one of our go-to week night dinner options because it is so easy to make and it makes a lot. Typically for us two this will feed us for two meals. What I love about leftover pasta dishes is for some reason it always taste so much better when it's been sitting in the fridge for a day or two and then reheated. Typically if I have time when making lasagna, I like to make it a whole day before it is served, let it sit in the fridge and then reheat. All the wonderful flavors in most pasta dishes meld together nicely over time and just taste awesome when reheated. 

Sausage & Peppers Pasta

Prep time: 5 min | Cook time: 20 min | Total time: 25 min | Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups Penne pasta
• 1 lbs Hot Italian sausage, sliced
• 1 Green pepper, sliced
• 1 Red pepper, sliced
• 1 Yellow pepper, sliced
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 14.5 oz can Diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella

Cooking Directions

1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, add your sausage and brown. Add in the sliced betters and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, mix to incorporate, and cook until fragrant. Add in the canned diced tomatoes and stir until well mixed. Reduce to a simmer.
2. Cook pasta as per box directions in boiling salted water.
3. When the pasta is al dente, thoroughly drain in a colander and transfer to the dutch oven with the sausage and peppers. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in cheese and mix again until incorporated. Remove from heat, cover and let cheese melt.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Warning: This does pack some heat. If you want it less spicy, simply lower the amount of jalapeno and/or blackening seasoning.

Ahhhh life is just so good right now! It has been busy, but it has been also filled with many blessings. As of last week I officially put 200,000 miles on my Prius and have drove through the state of Ohio, in it's entirety a total of 8 times since Thanksgiving! 

But all of this driving was not in vein, I had to drive to Indiana last week to officially accept my job offer as a Territory Manager for Ecolab! It just felt so good after working so hard to earn my degree to sign a paper that more than doubled my annual salary. Now the next step of the journey is to pack up our house and move on out to Fort Wayne, IN to officially begin the next chapter. I start my new job next week, but won't be leaving Happy Valley until the 25th. Lots of emotions since I have been living in this area now for 28 years. But, mostly I am full of excitement! 

I have also been working hard the past few weeks to re-establish my blog, rekindle some old flames with my fellow foodies, and update Happy Valley Chow. Be sure to check out the updated "About Me" page (Assuming you want to better know the man behind the curtain) and definitely check out my new "Store" that has a few different pages of products and cookbooks that I use on a regular basis. Thanks again everybody for being such great supporters and always stopping by to say hello. You guys are awesome and I hope you keep coming back to visit!

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